Sunlight & Sea Foam
by Dijabringabeeralong
Summary: This is for silverfox98s fairytale challenge, Hans Christian Andersons The Little Mermaid with a HP twist. Warning: smut in the later chapters, suicide in the last chapter, rated M for good reason. Set around GOF, but older ages implied to suit the story.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Harry Potter or The Little Mermaid. It'd be nice if I did, though. _  
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_Waves crashed against white sands, filling the air with music that no instrument could replicate. The scent of the sea filled his nostrils, filling him with contentment and reminding him of home. The sand was warm and comfortable beneath him, moulding itself to his shape, and the sun caressed all visible skin, painting the young man and all around him in the colours of the sunset. The world above was all Draco had dreamed of, warmth, sunshine, a perfect beach. . ._

Someone was poking his cheek. He groaned and rolled over, the texture of the surface he was lying on changing beneath him. The feeling of sun on his skin changed to the warmth of four walls around him, tiny currents around him telling him that he wasn't alone in his room.

Well, the currents and the insistent cheek-poking.

"Draco. . . Dracoooo. . . _Draco!_" The voices were as insistent as the poking, and when Draco finally opened his eyes, he wasn't surprised to see his parents leaning over him, holding a cake and grinning. The sound of waves still filled his ears but the dream fading from his immediate memories as fast as waves pulling away from a beach. He looked around, remembering where he was, and grinned back at his mother and father as he sat up. It was his fifteenth birthday. He had been waiting for this day ever since his neighbour, Blaise, had turned fifteen, making his journey to the Surface for a day, to learn of the Landfolk. He had come back so full of stories. From then on, he had watched in envy as every single one of his friends and schoolfellows hit that important age and came back, each with their own stories, their own experiences. Vincent had taken the trip just the week before, and had come back talking of the Landfolk in the castle nearby. A lot of the Landfolk were young, he said, and they all wore the same clothes. They had no imagination, all wore drab black with flashes of colour. They weren't like the Lakepeople, where no two wore the same garments. They were strange, mysterious, and they were frightened of the Lake and all within. Draco found this strange and confusing. Why were they frightened? Were they a threat? He had cast the thought aside until this day. The day when he would finally see them for himself.

But first, there was cake. He took a generous slice and ate it for breakfast. It was one of the only times in the year that he was allowed to eat such a thing for breakfast, although his mother would have a more normal breakfast waiting for him in the kitchen. He wouldn't be allowed to leave until the plate was empty. He let himself be led from his bedroom and into the kitchen, where the dappled light of the Surface streamed through the gaps in the roof, hinting at a weak sun shining far above them. Draco couldn't wait to see it properly.

Having bolted down the breakfast set out for him and pulled on a few heavy necklaces of shells and smooth coloured pebbles, he fidgeted with impatience as his father listed off all the rules that he had to abide by on his journey to the Surface; Don't stay in one place for too long, don't stay above the Surface for longer than an half an hour at a time (letting yourself dry out isn't a good idea) steer clear of the Wild Grindylows unless you plan on bringing a few spears, avoid the squid like the plague if you like your head where it is, and, most important of all, _do not go too close to the Landfolk, or let them see you._ The Landfolk are dangerous, especially these ones. The Wizards killed with fire and light, and great danger would befall the Lakepeople if the Wizards in their castle thought that they were a threat.

With these rules in mind, Draco bid farewell to his parents, listened to the advice for safe travel from his friends, and was well away from the little town at the bottom of the lake with just a few swishes of his tail.

The first thing Draco noticed as he got closer to the surface was how warm the water was. He hadn't realised that his home lay in the coldest water of the lake, and he found it strange that the water was so warm so close to the surface. Maybe it was the sunlight. He hesitated just underneath the surface, trying to calculate where he was. The land gently sloped upwards to his left, towards a place where there were tall plants reaching for the sky. To his right, a vast expanse of water. Behind him, the way he had come, and in front, another expanse. The waters spread more widely than he had thought. Well, it was time to look at the Surface from the other side of the water. A gentle flap of his fins made his head break the surface of the water, and he almost immediately ducked his head back under, gasping. The sun was so bright! His eyes smarted, dazzled by sudden exposure to bright light.

He tried again, this time with his eyes shut. The cold bit at his ears as he surfaced, and the light was red through his eyelids. He hadn't expected this, and waited until he thought he could handle it before opening his eyes. The light was still bright, but he wasn't blinking more than usual, and the only thing that stung them was the cold air that blew into them. Air! It tasted strange on his tongue, and he almost laughed aloud. He still didn't know exactly where he was, and he peered around once he was used to the light. To his left, the water met the ground on the gentle slope, and from there the ground changed from a dirty, muddy grey to short tufts of green, and then tall plants with thick, rough-looking stems. To his right and behind him, the water seemed to stretch on forever. In front of him, the shore stretched away from him, showing him the castle in the distance, and something sitting on the water. How strange. . . He made his way towards it, hearing his father's voice in his head. _Don't get too close to the Landfolk._

His curiosity smothered the voice, and he ducked beneath the surface again to make his way closer to the dwelling place of the Landfolk.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: _**_I still don't own Harry Potter or the Little Mermaid. I don't have that kind of genius -.-_

"C'mon Ginny, it'll be fun!"

Ginny rolled her eyes, strongly doubting that there would be any fun to be had with what Luna had in mind. A group of boys from Durmstrang had invited them on a tour of their boat, claiming that it had many interesting carvings, feats of magical architecture and there would be a small get together afterwards, for select guests. Obviously Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood were "select guests" along with a few Slytherin girls. No Hufflepuffs, she noted wryly, nor any boys. It would be. . . interesting, to say the least.

The tour was interesting enough, getting a good poke around the ship that was the Durmstrang mode of transport was gratifying, to say the least. Mainly because it was no more magical than the train that Hogwarts students used to get to and from Hogwarts every year. It was well made, but not particularly magical, apart from being totally impenetrable when it came to leaks. All the movement and steering was done by the students, which was supposed to teach the students something, but Ginny had stopped listening and didn't find out what the lesson was. As pretty as the boy was, he didn't have much going for him upstairs apart from boasting and self-importance.

Several hours later saw the redhead leaning against the deck railing of the ship, wishing she could throw herself into the murky waters behind her. Merlin, she was so _bored_. It wasn't that the boys weren't good-looking. They were. It wasn't that she already had a boyfriend. She didn't. She just knew that she and the other girls were only there for one reason, and they were being plied with firewhiskey until they were compliant. She had tipped most of the liquid over the side of the ship, and pretended wooziness so she could stay away from the group who were giggling at the world at large.

She wasn't going to last much longer, plus she knew that the Professors would be looking for them. Ron would be looking for her, as would Fred and George. They'd be worried about her. So would Hermione, who had been pointedly left out of the conversation when the cute Durmstrang boy came over to talk to her. Harry would probably worry too. Her heart twisted at the thought. Harry didn't notice how much she liked him. He probably didn't notice anything about her, except that she was clumsy around him, and she was his best friend's sister.

Her stomach lurched with the movement of the ship, the sound of the water lapping against the sides didn't help much. The ship was rocking a lot more than it had been, and the sensation nauseated her. _It's time to get back to dry land._ She thought firmly as the ship rocked violently to one side, and then to the other. The others had noticed the ship's extreme movements, and were starting to squeal in surprise at the motion, staggering back and forth. The ship creaked under the force of the rocking, and raised voices could be heard below deck. Fear shot through her as the raised voices suddenly turned to screams, and Ginny felt the ship shudder beneath her. She saw the others screaming, the boys were trying to lower the rowboats, when an explosion tore through the deck of the ship, sending everyone flying and splitting the ship in half. Ginny watched as if everything was happening in slow motion, a ball of fire burst from the centre of the hull, blasting the mast off into the water, sending jagged lumps of broken timber flying in every direction. She could almost hear screams under the sound, which filled her ears with an awful roaring, and she felt herself being tossed away from the blast like a rag doll, towards the cold water that the ship was perched on. She hit the water, slammed her head off something hard, and remembered nothing more.

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><p>It was getting dark by the time Draco reached the ship, and the water was cooler than it had been when the sun was in the sky. He hadn't realized that the ship was so far away , and his shoulders were aching from the strong strokes he used in conjunction with his tail to propel himself through the water. He should have been making his way back home by now. If he left it too late, he'd probably get himself lost, and he had only brought a small flint knife with him. He'd need the fading light to guide him home again, so that he could tell his own stories to awestruck kids, or compare experiences with his friends. He also needed to be home before his parents sent out search parties. As much as he loved them, he wouldn't be able to bear it if they shamed him by coming to look for him on a journey that all of his friends had made without mishap. Just a quick look at the thing on the water, and he would turn himself in the direction of home.<p>

Draco almost bumped his head on the wooden hull of the ship in his haste to get close to it, peering at the shape looming over him in the fading sunset, and saw light streaming over the top of the shape. With the light came the sounds of laughter, and of music. The sound of the music caught his attention, and he sought for a way to lift himself closer to it. This came in the form of a few conveniently placed lumps of wood nailed securely to the hull of the ship, as a crude ladder to be used in the event that someone fell overboard. They were mostly for decoration. Not that Draco knew that, and he used them to his advantage, hoisting himself up the ladder on strong arms, his tail hanging down after him, useless outside the water.

Several minutes later and minus several scales, he managed to reach deck-level of the ship's deck, and peered into the light of the deck, unseen by the people in the light. Draco had only ever heard of the Landfolk, that they walked on two legs, were as varied in skin colour as his own kind, their garments were drab and unimaginative and in general appearance they were as appealing as a Grindylow with scale-rot. Their own kind had beauty enough. Draco brought his mind back to where he was, and peered through the bars of the railing around the deck. All he could see were feet, encased in leather and other materials, and the hems of dark-coloured clothes. Some were blood-red, some were black. The voices and music seemed to be coming from somewhere higher. Being careful not to put his head between the railing, he looked up.

The males wore red, the females wore black, and most of them were grouped around one section of the deck, giggling and swaying slowly to the music. Most of them had paired off, and were moving against each other in ways that made Draco uncomfortable, and reminded him of the newly mated pairs back home. The ones who spent most of their time in their homes, where sounds of pleasure could be heard to anyone who paused long enough outside the glass-free windows of the houses in his hometown. On the deck of the ship, one couple had even gone so far as to lean against the railing close to where Draco watched, and the male fumbled to get beneath the females clothes, while she just leaned back and let him do as he liked, giggling and leaning her head on his shoulder, gasping when he nibbled at her neck or ears. Eventually he found his goal, and his arm moved rhythmically against her. She moaned and leaned into his touch, moving her legs apart. Draco turned his eyes away then, feeling his face heat up at seeing a moment that the Landfolk clearly didn't hold sacred and private.

His eyes scanned the deck of the ship. . . and landed on an angel. She leaned against the rail opposite him, head tilted down towards the floor she stood on, some kind of container in one hand and the other hand shoved into a pocket. The black of her clothes was stark against her pale, clear, smooth skin, both the robes and the harsh light of flames bleached her skin to yellowish bone, and lit her hair to fire that no torch could rival. Her eyes were brown, but lit with flecks of green, and the light of the torches turned the brown to amber. It struck Draco suddenly that his friends and family had lied. The Landfolk could be beautiful. This one was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. More beautiful than sunlight on water. Than his first taste of Surface Air. He knew in just seeing her that he couldn't live without her, not happily. His image of the women back home was marred by this pale, fiery-haired Landwoman.

He also knew, in the same moment, that he would never even speak to her, let alone love her openly. This was partly owing to the fact that he couldn't speak the language of the Landfolk, but also to the rules set down by his people. _You cannot come into contact with a Human, or let yourself be seen by one._His heart felt like it had shattered in his chest. He couldn't stay there any longer. Her image was already seared into his mind, anyway. He had just started to scramble down when he slipped, flinging his hand out to catch the first piece of wood he could reach. This turned out to be the windowsill of one of the below-deck rooms. Out of sheer curiosity, he peered through, just to find out what Landfolk kept in their rooms. This one held black pots, some full, some empty. His folk had no use for items like that, and he wondered what they were used for. From the look of things, it held liquids, like water but. . . strange smells drifted from the room, and some liquids were thicker than water. He knew he should get back into the water, his skin was starting to feel uncomfortably tight and dry, but raised voices drew his attention back to the room. Two Landfolk were yelling at each other as loudly as they could, their faces twisted in anger. Draco was no stranger to anger, but on this scale was a bit frightening. Especially because they were holding the sticks that his parents had told him about. The ones that Wizards used to kill.

The fight escalated quickly, and they started shooting bolts of light at each other. Draco took this as his cue to slip away and swim for home as fast as he could. He sighed in relief as the water touched his scales and skin, refreshing him and relieving the dry, tight feeling. He was glad that his day at the Surface was over, and he would never have to stray away from the town again. He would be plagued with dreams of her, but he wouldn't have to go to places where she would be.

_Boom!_ The sound roared under the water, and the shock of the blast sent Draco swimming away from the ship as fast as he could, only looking back when he was a safe distance away. There was fire on the water, and he could hear screams from the people on the ship. The ones that had survived. He was about to turn around and head for home, when a face swam into the fore of his mind. She had been on that ship. She could be hurt. She could be dead. He had to make sure.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Note: **__I'm giving up on the disclaimer, because I've said twice that I don't own either story used here and it just reminds me that I'm not a literary genius :( Oh, and this chapter and the last were supposed to be four separate chapters, but my beta mentioned that they're quite short, so I followed her advice and put them together into two chapters rather than four. This chapter is still a bit short though, sorry about that.  
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Why did he do that? Was he insane? He was going to be in _so _much trouble when he finally got back home. Dawn was tinging the sky with several different colours, and he was lying on a beach that was nothing like his dream of the morning before. The sand was more grit and mud than soft sand, and it was uncomfortable to lie on. The air was cold, and he had gotten past the dry, tight, uncomfortable feeling hours ago. Most of Draco's mind was giving out, cursing his own foolishness, wishing the squid would swallow him whole where he lay, so that he wouldn't have to face the wrath of his father.

The left-over part of his brain was filled with so much happiness he thought he might burst. He had pulled the angel from among the wreckage of the ship, and had swam towards the shore that he could see illuminated by the fires that razed the ship. She was heavier than she appeared, and her clothes soaked up a lot of water, making her even heavier. He had had a lot of trouble pushing her up the bank, losing a few more scales on the grit as he did so. He had collapsed with her in his arms, too exhausted to move, save to check if she was breathing. She was, much to his relief. He held her close, wiping blood off a wound on her temple, and savoring the sight and feel of her so close to him. He had never seen anything so beautiful, and even when she was soaked to the skin, even with several bruises and that awful cut marring her flawless skin.

He decided right there and then that he would never leave her, even if the Wizards tried to blast him to smithereens with spells. This sentiment died as soon as he heard the voices. There were Landfolk coming close. They were yelling, and they carried their wands. Light poured from the tips. Terror gripped him, making him freeze. These Landfolk were older than ones he had seen, and therefore were more dangerous. He couldn't stay here. The older Landfolk would hunt the rest of his family down and eradicate them because just one of them was seen with a Human.

He sat up, gently taking his arm from underneath her, and pushed himself towards the water, scrambling in his haste to get away from the girl and the Surface. She would never know that he saved her, and maybe it was better that way.

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><p>"Ginny. . . <em>Ginny!<em>" The voices sounded like they were coming from very far away, or like her ears were stuffed with cotton wool. Everything was blurry when she finally opened her eyes, and the first thing that came into focus was a pair of green eyes, framed by round glasses. A vague part of her mind told her that Harry Potter was leaning over her, cradling her in his arms, and he looked worried. This was smothered by other things that came into focus as she woke. Like the aches and pains that she seemed to have _everywhere,_and the throbbing on her temple. She felt sick, and like her lungs were full of water. Her memories of the night before were hazy, but she guessed that she had been flung into the Lake.

"Wha. . . What happened?" Ginny mumbled, trying not to heave. She peered around her, trying to work out where she was and what had happened. There was mud and grit underneath her, the sky above her was lightening, and the lake lapped at the grit close to her feet. The shore was crawling with people, many of which were professors and Durmstrang students in various states of shock and distress. Some were searching through the wreckage, clearly looking for valuables that might have survived the explosion. Others were just sitting on the bank, staring at the bits of broken wood floating on the water, as if they couldn't believe that the ship was gone. She was surrounded by a few of her brothers, all pale behind their freckles. Madam Pomfrey hovered nearby, unable to get to her through the group of red-heads.

"You remember the explosion? Do you know how it happened? Do you remember?" Ginny shook her head, realizing that her hair and clothes were semi-dry. How long had she been lying there? She didn't even know how she had gotten there. All she could remember was the centre of the deck bursting outwards, sending everyone flying in different directions. She had been no different, as soon as she hit the water, something else hit her head and she blacked out. Remember the impact made her remember the cut on her temple, and the pain came back, making her head throb. Her stomach heaved, and she leaned to one side, away from Harry's lap, dry heaving onto the grit. Madam Pomfrey saw this as her chance to shove her brothers out of the way, and nudge Ginny onto a stretcher, which she lifted with a wave of her wand and whisked Ginny off to the Hospital Wing.

It took Madam Pomfrey about ten minutes to fix Ginny's bumps and bruises, commenting on how lucky she was compared to others, who had suffered burns or had nearly drowned, but she insisted on keeping Ginny overnight "for the shock" and left her to sleep with a mug of hot chocolate. That night, she dreamed of the sea, of men with flickering, silvery tails and faces she couldn't see...


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks to everyone who's read/reviewed/added to their watch list. Don't be afraid to click review, whether you liked it or not ;) I won't get upset if you didn't like it._

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><p>The search party ran into Draco as he came to the edge of the town. Dawn had come and gone, and it seemed that his parents had sent out search parties almost as soon as the sun had set. The searchers that spotted him trying to sneak in after them were tired, irritable, and threatened to skewer him with their spears at least three times each. Despite eyeing the cruel weapons warily, their threats were nothing compared to how angry his parents were when he reached his home. Their yells were still ringing in his ears when he eventually got to his bedroom, sinking onto the bed in exhaustion. He knew that they were only trying to keep him safe, but he <em>really <em>needed sleep after his long night.

Almost as soon as he shut his eyes, her face shot to the fore of his mind, making his heart clench again. He had held her in his arms, and she wouldn't remember, nor would she be happy about it if she did. If she did remember anything about him, she would probably think he was a big fish or some other animal rather than a merman. He was nothing to her, and she should be nothing to him. But. . . he had saved her. A Landwoman who would probably kill him if she ever actually saw him. He could almost imagine her beautiful face twisting in disgust at the sight of him, and using her wand against him. It was an unpleasant thought, especially as all he could think of her were positive thoughts; _she was beautiful, extraordinary_.

It took him hours to drift off to sleep, and when he finally did, his dreams were of fire on water, of heated arguments, passionate encounters that meant nothing and of women with fire in their hair and amber in their eyes. He woke up at least four times before giving up on sleep, feeling faintly sick. He sat up, peering out the empty window. Pre-dawn light coloured everything in varying shades of grey, and everything was quiet. He went to the door, listening hard for the sounds of his parents waking up, and when he heard nothing, he went back to the window and slipped through it, thinking only of getting as far away from the town as he possibly could.

Draco swam for what felt like hours, staying away from the places he had been warned about, and steering clear of the places he had been the day before. Where the Landfolk were. He couldn't go to that place again. Not where she was. He couldn't handle that, he just knew he couldn't. Instead, he swam towards a place he had never been before, the other Lakepeople had avoided it on the hunts and had never mentioned it, despite the younger merpeople asking about it. The place just wasn't spoken of, and Draco decided that exploring would help to clear his mind. And if his exploring proved fatal, at least he wouldn't be able think of her anymore. Morbid thoughts like those floated around in his head, though he focused on the exploration.

Pushing through the dense weeds that marked the end of the Lakepeople's hunting territory, his eyes flickered in the direction of every little sound he heard, ready for anything that might come at him. There didn't seem to be any wild Grindylows around here. Nor any other kind of creature. Not even the Squid was around, and he roamed wherever he wished. He could sense eyes on him, but he didn't know whose. As he pushed further and further into the shadowy depths, he thought he could hear singing. A sweet, lilting, plaintive tune, that sent shivers up and down his spine. He couldn't remember if he knew it or not. His wandering eventually brought him to a cavern, deep and shadowy, but furnished as well as any of the squat houses that his friends and family live in. Lying back on a worn couch was the fattest mermaid he had ever seen. She had a round face, as worn as she couch she lay on, and her hair was tangled in a way that no comb could fix. She stared at him through green eyes that may once have been wide and huge in her face, but now were lost in wrinkles and fat. When she grinned humourlessly at him, most of her teeth were missing, and the ones left were the colour of algae.

It suddenly struck him why nothing wandered around this place, and why the Lakepeople never spoke of it. This was the lair of the Lake-witch. He had heard a story of her when he was little, but had never really believed she existed. It was said that she knew how to make potions, and lay curses on anyone she disliked. She had been cast out of the town a long time ago, and no-one had heard from her since. She was a story to frighten little children with, and the younger residents of the town thought she was just a story. He was suddenly frightened, like a child seeing the monster under his bed. Seeing his fear made her grin wider, like she was enjoying seeing his sudden realisation.

"There aren't many who come looking for me anymore". He almost started when he heard her voice, which was a strong contrast to her ugliness. It was soft, lyrical, like song turned to speech. It was a reminder that she might have been beautiful once. Instead, she wallowed in her own fat, barely able to swim any more. His skin crawled when she looked him up and down appraisingly, taking in his pale skin, yellow-green scales and blond hair.

He was slight compared to the other mermen his age, only a slight hint at muscles underneath the skin. He wanted to back away, to swim out of the cavern and as far away from it as he possibly could, but he wasn't able to make himself move. Instead, he waited for her to speak again. "People used to come to me all the time, you know. For favours. They wanted me to work miracles for them. Make him love me, make her stay away from me, curse my cousin, she's trying to steal my family's fortune, kill my father so I can have the house!" His revulsion grew as she listed off the complaints that people came to her with, her overly-sweet laughter filling the pauses between each plea. She was mocking his townspeople, he should take his spear and. . . And what? Even if he had a spear with him, it probably wouldn't pierce the blubber. The need to get away grew bigger, but a sneaky little thought drifted to the fore of his mind, making him crush the need to flee.

"Could you make me Human? Could you give me legs?" The question left his mouth before he could stop it, and the witch stopped laughing to stare at him. The laughter filled his ears, making him blush hotly for having asked such a question, and he lowered his head in shame, waiting for the laughter to stop. "What do you need legs for? Is your lovely shimmering tail not good enough for you? The girls back home won't want you if you have legs like the Landfolk!" She could barely speak with laughter, and he felt his face heat up again at the thought of the girls back home. None of them were appealing to him any more. Not even the girl he had been flirting with the last few months tempted him. His mind was filled with Human girls with fiery hair. He looked back up again when he realised that she had stopped laughing abruptly. There was understanding in her eyes. He could also see pity there, which angered him. He didn't want her to feel sorry for him.

He barely noticed her lift herself off her couch, swimming towards him slowly, until she was right in front of him. He looked away, hating the pity in her eyes.

"Of course I can."


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks to everyone who's added this story to their watch list :D If you're still reading, don't be afraid to review :P_

". . . suppose you're free to go, Miss Weasley. Miss Weasley?" Ginny looked up at Madam Pomfrey and nodded. She hadn't slept well so the Nurse had been unwilling to let her go earlier. Ginny had insisted that she wanted to get back to a normal routine, despite the bumps and bruises and her tossing and turning in the hospital bed. She knew her brothers were waiting for her outside the Hospital Wing, and would fuss over her more than ten Madam Pomfreys, so she wasn't in danger of hurting herself any further, nor was she in danger of overworking herself so soon after getting out of the Hospital Wing. She pulled on her robe over her school skirt and jumper, and wandered out of the ward with the sound of the Nurse's disapproving sniffs in her ears.

The first class that morning was mind-numbingly boring, and made her head ache. It almost made her wish she was still in the hospital... almost. Why did she have to have double History of Magic so early in the morning? In fact, why did she have to attend History of Magic at all? She decided that for that morning, she didn't have to take it, and in the break between the two hour-long lectures, she grabbed her belongings and left the classroom, swinging her bag onto her back and ignoring the yells from the classmates who saw her leave. She didn't really care if they told Professor Binns that she was skiving. She just didn't want to be there, where it was easy to fall asleep and have those nightmares again.

The first place she went to was the Gryffindor Common Room, jogging lightly up the vast amount of stairs and muttering the password to the Fat Lady, ignoring the painting when she asked whether she had any classes or not. The Common Room was, thankfully, empty when she strode into it, firing her bag onto a chair by the fire and plonking herself down beside the bag. She felt tired but restless, ready to fall asleep but wide awake at the same time. Her neck and temples ached, and her stomach was still slightly nauseous. When she shut her eyes she could still see the great ball of orange fire tearing its way through the deck of the ship, and she could feel her feet leaving the ground, followed closely by the sensation of flying backwards without being able to control what was happening. Reliving the experience reminded her of how helpless she had been, how utterly out of control she had been of the situation. She didn't even know how it had happened, nor did she really want to know. What mattered was that it _did_happen, and that it would disturb her dreams for months to come.

Her eyes flew open again when a small part of her mind told her that she was drifting off again, and she sat forward, scowling. She didn't want to sleep, that was the reason she had left Professor Binns' class. She hauled herself out of the comfortable chair, raced up to the dormitory to put her bag on her bed, and swung her cloak around her shoulders before running back down the stairs and back out of the Common Room, thinking only of keeping herself awake.

She kept up a brisk, steady pace as she made her way back down the stairs, ignoring the ache that grew in her thighs from running down so many stairs. She needed to keep herself awake, and the best way to do that was to walk around. The best place to walk was out on the Grounds, where it was cold and quiet. The cold would keep her alert, which was what she needed. She wouldn't let herself be tired right now.

The Entrance Hall was blissfully empty when she finally reached it, panting slightly and feeling a slight ache in her legs. The sooner she got outside, the better. The few people that wandered around the Entrance Hall went ignored as Ginny tried to get through the doors as fast as she could without actually running, but she slowed when she heard a familiar voice call her name. When she turned to face Harry, who was leaving the Great Hall, her memories flashed back to the morning before, when she had woken up cradled in his arms and had nearly thrown up in his lap. A rush of affection filled her as she remembered the look of concern on his face, and she smiled at him as he reached her, scanning her face with his beautiful green eyes. "Madam Pomfrey let you out?" She nodded slowly, choosing not to tell him that she had had to convince the Nurse to let him go.

"Don't you have class now?" The question surprised her, considering she wasn't the only one standing in the Entrance Hall during class hours. Since he was a year above her, they didn't know each other's timetables, so she could very easily lie to him about leaving History of Magic. Which she did, by shaking her head mutely. She felt a little bad for lying to him twice in the space of five minutes, but she didn't want Harry telling Ron or Hermione that she was skipping class, she'd get a lecture from Hermione and the usual stuttery worried ramble from Ron. It wasn't what she wanted to hear from either of them, so lying to Harry was her best option. He didn't look convinced, looking at her through slightly narrowed eyes. _Time to change the subject, Ginny._She thought to herself, before opening her mouth to speak. "Why aren't you in class? If you aren't busy we could go for a walk?" she cursed herself silently for not sounding more flirty, and for the hopeful note that entered her voice when she asked about the walk. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice, and shrugged at her, motioning that she should take the lead and start walking. She felt a little rush of triumph, and finally left the castle with Harry close behind her.

Five minutes later, Ginny was cursing herself for choosing to leave the Common Room at all, and dragging Harry with her outside. The wind howled around the grounds, and was bitterly cold, making her shiver uncontrollably. An awkward silence had descended on the pair, and Ginny wished she didn't feel so braindead around him. _Say something witty!_ Nothing came to mind, unless she made a joke about the fact that she had dragged him out into the cold for no particular reason. Which probably wasn't a good idea, considering he didn't look comfortable or warm as it was. She was an idiot for wanting to get out of the Castle in the first place, especially so soon after being washed up on the shore of the Lake.

She shouldn't have thought about the Lake. Her eyes automatically flickered towards it. It sparkled in the weak, cold morning sun, and it almost looked like nothing had happened there worth noting. Except the few lumps of wood that remained of the ship, the Lake looked almost peaceful. Pretty, even. She made her way towards it without even thinking, letting Harry follow her if he wanted. It was only when she tripped on a lump of wood that she realised she had reached the waters edge. There was grit under her shoes, and it crunched when she walked. She was dimly aware of Harry standing beside her, holding her hand and mumbling soothing nothings awkwardly, as if he didn't really know how to comfort her but was going to make a good stab at trying. She squeezed his hand slightly and gazed out at the water, with the charred remnants of the ship still floating on it, unsure what she was doing there but she didn't want to leave.

She started when Harry's hand left hers, and she turned to look at him. He had spotted something on the miserable excuse for a beach, and was running towards it. She lagged behind, not sure if she wanted to see what it was that had caught Harry's attention. She broke into a run and joined him when she realised what it was. There was a boy lying on the grit, half immersed in water, as if he had tried to crawl up onto the shore and had given up when the upper half of his body left the water. He was lying on his stomach, his eyes were closed. . . and he was naked, apart from a few heavy-looking necklaces made from what looked like seaweed and smooth coloured stones. She caught herself looking him up and down, taking in pale, smooth skin, like fresh milk, a long, lithe body, slight but a slight hint of muscle here and there. From what she could see he had a flat, toned stomach, a few grazes, and when her gaze trailed lower, she blushed and brought her eyes back up to his face, which was handsome in a pale, pointy kind of way. He had a strong jawline and a straight nose, high cheekbones and his hair was as fair as his skin, almost unnaturally white. As much in love as she was with Harry, she was still able to appreciate that this boy was attractive, and probably wouldn't say no to a romantic encounter.

Harry's voice distracted her from eyeing up the strange boy, and reminded her that he was lying unconscious on the shore of the Lake without a stitch of clothing, and he was covered in scrapes and bruises. Harry was taking off his cloak and covering the boy with it, ordering Ginny to run back and get help. Which she promptly did, racing back to the castle as fast as she could and approached the first non-student she saw, gabbling about finding someone wounded by the Lake, probably left over from the wreck of the explosion. After that everything was a bit hazy, there was a lot of running around, answering questions, following Madam Pomfrey back up to the Hospital wing so she and Harry could answer questions about the state the boy was in. No questions were asked about why neither of the students were in class, which Ginny was thankful for, though she spotted Madam Pomfrey glaring at her a few times, as if she knew that Ginny had skipped class. She made her excuses and left the Hospital Wing as soon as possible, leaving Harry and the professors to talk to the boy when he woke up.


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm sure I don't need to say it all again, do I? Happy reading _

Draco woke slowly, as if from a very deep sleep, and frowned slightly at the light behind his eyelids. He could hear voices all around him, and wondered where he was. Was he still dreaming? He risked opening his eyes, and they grew wide in terror. He was surrounded by Landfolk. He opened his mouth to cry out, and no sound issued forth. Suddenly it all came crashing back. The Lake Witch had given him a stoppered bottle, and told him to drink it when he reached the shore closest to the Landfolk dwelling-place. He had obeyed, and had downed the thick, disgusting liquid in one swallow. Immediately it had felt like the lower half of his body was being sliced with knives, his lungs were on fire, and the world spun. It had felt like the pain would never end, and he barely caught a glimpse of his new legs before he had passed out on the gritty beach, too weak and in pain to do anything else.

Now he was lying in a bed, presumably in the stone castle of the Landfolk, and he was surrounded by adults, who were all talking at once. The youngest in the room apart from himself was a boy about his own age or older, with dark hair and bright green eyes framed by round spectacles. He had a strange scar on his forehead. The boy smiled at him and looked up at the adults, rolling his eyes. He clearly knew these adults, and had to listen to them often. Draco smothered a smile, and looked around as silence descended on the group around him. The oldest of them, a man with a long white beard, spoke to the other adults, making most of them go away. Soon the only ones left around his bed were the white bearded man, the boy with the black hair and a man with sallow skin and lank, greasy hair. The last of the three made Draco uneasy, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

"Can you tell me your name? Do you know how you ended up on the shore of the Lake?" The bearded man spoke, and Draco was surprised to find that he understood. Was he speaking Mermish? No, it didn't sound like his own language. so this man was speaking the language of the Landfolk, and Draco could understand him. Clearly the potion didn't just give him legs. He opened his mouth, trying to respond, and looked away from the man, shutting his mouth again. This "gift" that the Witch had given him had cost him his voice. Even if he met _her,_ he wouldn't be able to speak to her. He wasn't able to read or write, thus couldn't use that form of communication, so if he wanted to communicate with her, he'd have to use guestures and hope she understood. She'd probably just laugh at him. He didn't think he'd be able to bear it if she laughed at him. Especially with the task that the Witch had set him.

He had to make her fall in love with him and promise herself to him within a week, if he wanted to keep his new legs and regain his voice. How, in the name of the Giant Squid was he going to manage that? He didn't even know where in the castle she was, let alone whether she'd be willing to give him a chance when he found her.

Voices drew him back to where he was, and he looked sheepishly at the three people in front of him. Time to start practising guestures. He tapped his throat, opened his mouth, and shook his head. "You can't speak? Does your throat hurt?" Head shake. "Could you speak before the explosion?" Slow nod. "Do you know what might be wrong with your voice?" Head shake. He wasn't going to tell them that he was a merman given legs. They'd probably lock him up, or fire him back into the Lake to see if his tail grew back. "Can you write? Could you write your memories of the night of the explosion?" Fast head-shake. He couldn't fake injury, the woman hovering a few beds away would try to treat a wound that wasn't there, and then he wouldn't be able to make up any more excuses. It was easier to just shake his head and hope they didn't press the matter. Thankfully, the woman came to his rescue. "With all due respect, Headmaster, the boy has clearly suffered some trauma he can't speak of, and needs to rest. . ." The slight edge in her tone suggested that she wasn't used to being so polite, but the fact that she was being polite at all conveyed that the man with the white beard was important. He wasn't sure what a Headmaster was, as they didn't speak of the customs of the Landfolk back home, but he was bound to learn sooner or later. In the next week at least.

"Very well, Poppy, we'll leave him to sleep, and come back when you're satisfied that he's well again." The older man nodded once to her and motioned to the boy and the man with the sallow skin. "You should be getting back to your Dormitory, Harry. You've agreed to take him under your wing until we find out who he is, Severus?" nods from both men, and with that the man swept out of the room with the boy in tow. The sallow-skinned man spent a few minutes staring at Draco until he too swept out of the room. Draco noted that Harry must have been the young boy, and the older man was Severus.

The woman bustled about his bed, straightening the sheets, plumping the pillows, pushing a mug of hot liquid into his hands, muttering to herself. He didn't know what she was saying, and didn't bother to listen. Tomorrow, after he had slept, he was going to search the castle for the girl who had stolen his heart, and he was going to woo her. He hoped.


	7. Chapter 7

Ginny looked up, and then back down at her breakfast. It was porridge, with honey and a couple of blackberries. It looked good, it smelled good, but her stomach wasn't tempted. She nibbled at a bit of dry toast instead, ignoring the way Hermione nudged the bowl closer to her, gently pushing a spoon between her fingers. She vaguely heard her say that she needed a good breakfast, especially because her first class was Care of Magical Creatures, an outdoor lesson, so she needed something warm to keep her from catching a chill. It seemed more like a ploy to make her eat more, since her appetite had waned drastically after the Incident. Which had nothing to do with keeping her warm for an outdoor class. Hermione hinted that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the lesson if she was cold, and Ginny snorted at her disbelievingly. She couldn't bring herself to care about whether she paid attention to any of her classes or not, especially not with the Christmas Holidays so close. She could worry about her O. after the holidays, which she would go home for, and let her mother fuss over her and stuff her full of amazing home cooking whether she wanted it or not.

She ignored the porridge in front of her, much to Hermione's annoyance, and jumped as Lavendar and Parvati plonked themselves on the bench next to her, giggling madly and motioning to Ginny and Hermione. "Have you heard? There's going to be a Yule Ball over the Christmas holidays!" Lavendar squealed, barely able to contain her excitement. Parvati was almost as bad, giggling fit to burst and looking around the table at various listeners and potential dates. Ginny felt her plans for the holidays wither and slip away from her, and she groaned internally. So much for a family Christmas. Everyone would want to stay here for the Holidays, to go to this Ball. All the talk between that moment and when the event actually happened would be about dresses, boys and how amazing the night was going to be. She would seem boring if she went home when everyone else was staying for the Ball. Lavendar's voice cut through her thoughts, making her look up. "Are you hoping for someone in particular to ask you?" Her mind immediately flashed to Harry, and a spark of hope flared in her chest. Maybe he would ask her to the Ball. . .

She could imagine them sweeping onto the dancefloor before everyone else, holding each other close and swaying gently to the music, knowing that everyone was watching but not caring, in their own private world where they were the only people that existed. It was a blissful thought, and the other girls giggled and made knowing sounds when she smiled and blushed. She felt a little better about staying in Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays with that thought swirling around her mind. Hearing that the Weird Sisters would be playing was an added bonus. A very big added bonus.

She spent the rest of that morning in a daze, daydreaming about Harry coming up to her and awkwardly asking her to the Ball, and she would smile in a way that made him blush and stutter before agreeing to go with him, and he would beam like she had just given him the best thing in the whole world, and they would enter the Great Hall with everyone staring at them, all the other girls would envy her for her own beauty and for the handsome, proud man on her arm, and they would spend the evening in their own little world, talking to others but with eyes only for each other, and when they danced they would swirl through the other dancers, close to bumping into them but managing to avoid them, their steps in perfect harmony, knowing exactly what the other was going to do as they went, not looking anywhere but into each others eyes. The happy daydream lasted until about midday, when Dean Thomas approached her looking hopeful.

"Um, Ginny? D'you want to go to the Ball with me?" She wilted slightly, trying not to let guilty disappointment show on her face. She liked Dean well enough, he was a nice guy, not bad looking, but. . . She was waiting for Harry to ask her. She had been hoping beyond hope that Harry would get to her before anyone else had a chance to ask her, so that in the event that anyone else asked her, she could say that she was already going with someone. Unfortunately, she was still date-less, and Dean Thomas was looking so hopeful that she almost said yes. Almost. Guilt burned as he read the look on her face, and his hope died, leaving disappointment and a small amount of hurt. She stepped forward, about to take his hand, when he backed away, letting disappointment show fully on his face. "It's OK, Ginny. I understand." He turned away, leaving her to squirm in guilt for rejecting him. Suddenly she found herself hoping that Dean was the only boy other than Harry that wanted to take her to the Ball, otherwise she'd feel like this every time a boy walked away from her.

For the rest of the day, Ginny watched as all of her friends were taken to one side by boys from various Houses, and walked away either looking dejected or with a spring in their step and a smug expression. A few more approached her, and she felt the same amount of guilt that she had rejecting Dean every time a boy walked away from her. Was she really so confident that Harry was going to ask her, that she was going to reject several good looking and good natured boys in favour of a boy who was coveted by most of the female population at Hogwarts, most of whom only wanted him for his fame and the fact that he was a Triwizard Champion? _Yes_. She had seen the look in his eyes when she woke up on the shore of the Lake after the explosion, and he was the one holding her in his arms, not any of her brothers. She was so sure that he was going to ask her, and she didn't care who she rejected while she waited for him to ask her.

The next day, she watched him walk towards her at breakfast with a hopeful look, which switched to disappointment when he walked past her to sit with Ron and Hermione on her other side. She turned her attention back to her bowl of soggy cereal, when Harry started yelling, waving an arm. "Hey! Over here!" She turned to look at who he was yelling at, and stared. The boy they had found on the shore of the Lake a couple of days ago had wandered into the Great Hall, looking totally lost. He was wearing a light, cream coloured jumper, black trousers and he walked awkwardly, like he wasn't use to it. His longish, white blond hair flopped into his eyes, looking soft and silky. As much as she wanted Harry, and thought he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, this strange boy came a close second. There was a slight hint at a lightly muscled body beneath his clothes, and she noted that she wasn't the only girl eyeing him up.

Harry's yells made the boy's grey eyes to flicker to the Gryffindor Table, and he looked at Harry first before scanning the table. His eyes met hers and she felt like she had been struck by lightning. The look in his eyes was intense, like he saw straight into her soul and out the other side. In that one moment she felt insanely attracted to him, and was positive beyond any shadow of a doubt that he felt the same. The moment lasted barely a second, but felt like hours, and was broken by another yell from Harry, and the boy sped up, walking straight past her and sitting at the table with Harry, Ron and Hermione. "You look a bit lost, mate. You alright?" The boy nodded, giving Harry a little smile. He glanced at Ginny, and she felt that intensity again, before both turned to fact forwards again, so that the boy could talk to Harry, and she could finally eat the soggy mess in front of her.

"So, what's your name, then?" She heard Ron ask, and after a brief silence Harry cut in. "He can't speak. I thought it was only temporary after the explosion, but it must be permanent. Maybe he's deaf or something. Oh, not deaf, just mute then." The boy must have made some kind of motion that said he wasn't deaf. "Can you write it down?" was the next question, from Hermione. Turned out he couldn't. "A guessing game then?" Nods. She had turned to watch them as they started the game, and tried not to laugh too much as Harry, Ron and Hermione started guessing. The first hint was that the name had two syllables. And it wasn't any of the common names that they said to him. They moved on to guessing syllables, and after many silly sounding combinations, ended with the word Draco, which, when guessed, received a firm nod.

"So Draco, what House are you in?" The puzzled look on his face said he either couldn't remember or wasn't a Hogwarts student. The subject was dropped, and it was agreed that Draco would stick with them for the next few days, until he found people he recognised. Or until they sent him to St Mungo's, if his voice and memory didn't come back. She wondered what his full name was, and where he was from. The guessing game would take too long get his second name, so they hadn't bothered. Harry had mentioned Professor Snape taking Draco under his wing, as Dumbledore had put it, but when asked, the boy had shrugged in an absent kind of way, as if he didn't know or care about whoever it was they were talking about. He clearly felt the same way they did about the greasy Slytherin Head of House.

After breakfast, she watched Harry, Ron, Hermione and their new friend leave the Hall, giving Draco "a tour of the castle." She watched them go, noting all the female heads that turned to watch the newcomer leave, and again she felt a vague disappointment as Harry walked past her with a mere goodbye, and no mention of the Ball.


	8. Chapter 8

_Note: I'm so sorry I haven't added a chapter in so long, between college work and Beta gone AWOL, I kind of forgot about it. I'm posting this unBeta-ed 'cause while I don't want to keep annoying my Beta, I want to finish this. So apologies for mistakes/plot flaws/consistency errors/anything else that makes this chapter crappier than the ones I've already posted. As you already know, I don't own Harry Potter or the Little Mermaid. And the Review button is your friend ;)_

"So, who are you taking to the Ball?" This Ball was the main topic of conversation with more or less everyone when Harry towed Draco around the castle to tell him where everything was. He couldn't remember all the twists and turns, and had chosen to stop looking through the windows as they climbed more and more stairs. The pain in his new feet was worsening with every step. The Witch had warned him that every step he took would feel like knives stabbing his feet and legs over and over, but he hadn't really believed it. Now he was paying the price for his love of the landfolk woman, and the pain was growing with each step. He swore he could feel blood soaking into the cloth he wore over his feet, and into the hard leather shoes.

He looked up again as he realised, the girl, Hermione, had left the group, and it was just he, Harry and Ron wandering the corridors, talking idly. He zoned back into the conversation, and found that they were still talking about the Ball. He assumed it was some kind of social event that partnered men and women went to. Had they already chosen their mates? They were a bit young for that kind of commitment. . . Ron started dreamily talking about someone called Lavendar, and Harry rolled his eyes at Draco over the red-haired boys shoulder, as if he had heard all this before. Draco grinned back, trying not to laugh out loud. It was like listening to Blaise and Vincent, with Vincent going on about his love interest (again), Draco laughing at him and Blaise rolling his eyes. He felt almost like he was home again, aside from the pain in his feet and legs.

Ron paused long enough to ask Harry who he wanted to take, and a small smile spread across the dark-haired boys face. Instead of rambling on about a girl, like Ron had, he mumbled the name of a girl, which Draco missed, before Ron laughed loudly, telling him to hurry up and ask her before someone did. Draco gave them a confused look, and the name was repeated. Cho Chang. He didn't know who she was, but nodded anyway, making an encouraging motion to Harry in agreement with Ron. "What about you, Draco? Spotted anyone you fancy yet?" Her face shot straight to the fore of his mind, the way she had looked at the breakfast table when their eyes met, and he shrugged nonchalantly, opening his mouth to speak before snapping it shut again. Not being unable to speak was _really_ getting on his nerves. The other two boys gave him a sympathetic look, Ron giving his should a light tap, and they let the matter lie.

They walked in silence for a bit, not going anywhere in particular, until Harry stopped dead at the corner joining one corridor to another, dragging Ron and Draco with him back around the corner. There was a gaggle of girls crowded around the opposite end of the corridor, talking and laughing loudly. Harry peered around the corner in sheer terror, ignoring Ron's questions. Draco poked him in the chest, and arched an eyebrow when Harry glared at him. ". . . Cho's over there." He managed to choke out, and he blushed fiercely when Draco and Ron started laughing. Ron started going on about how Harry was famous, though Draco didn't know why; had taken on a Hungarian Horntail, whatever that was; fought off hundreds of dementors with one patronus, the meaning of which Draco wasn't going to even try work out; and had been the downfall of Lord Voldemort when he was just a baby. Therefore, Harry should be able to suck it up and ask a girl to go to a social event with him. Harry looked to Draco for help, and received none. Draco gave him another look, this time a little patronising, and then pushed him out into the corridor with the group of girls.

He bit back a snort as Harry tried and failed to make it look like he hadn't just been forced to turn around the corner, and walked up to the girls, looking very red around the ears. He could just hear Harry's voice speaking, and one girl speaking up in assent. He leaned forward to peek around the corner, Ron doing the same thing, and they fought briefly and silently for the prime spying space before Draco ended up on his hands and knees, with Ron leaning on his head with both hands. At least both of them could see Harry take a pretty dark haired girl aside and stutter at her, still blushing furiously. Both he and Ron started shaking with silent laughter at the look of confusion on the girls face, seeing her lips shape the words "What? Can you repeat that?" and Harry stuttered the question again more slowly. A look of delight crossed her features, and she nodded, blushing almost as much as Harry was. As for Harry himself, he visibly sagged in relief, nodding and giving her a quick hug before walking back towards Draco and Ron, who straightened up as quickly as they could, both managing to look like they hadn't been spying by the time Harry rounded the corner again.

"Well?" Ron demanded as Harry leaned against the stone wall, taking deep breaths. "I have a date to the Ball." Harry replied, grinning like an idiot, though he still looked a little pasty and sweaty. Amid the general shoulder-clapping and congratulating, Draco felt a little stab of envy. Both Harry and Ron had found their girls, and his was right in front of him, but would probably tell him to get lost.

* * *

><p>Ginny glanced quickly at Harry as he left the table, stuffing a slice of toast into his mouth as he rushed to the classroom to finish off the homework for his first class without distraction. It had been three days since she had heard about the Ball, and he still hadn't asked her. She had taken to avoiding places where boys had a habit of taking her to one side to ask that awkward question, and the guilty feeling hadn't dissipated with every rejection. She let her gaze move away from the boy hurrying out of the Great Hall, and turned to look at who else was still at the table. Draco was still there, nibbling half-heartedly at a kipper. They had noticed that he wasn't much of an eater, and when he did, it was mostly fish. Ron was, according to Harry, still not awake, and Hermione was chatting idly with Parvati. She tuned into the conversation when she heard Harry's name.<p>

". . . said he asked Cho the other day, and she agreed. Ron asked Lavendar this morning, and last time I saw them, they were snogging behind a suit of armour on the fifth floor. Harry thinks I don't know. I don't care though, Viktor asked me to go with him yesterday. . ." Ginny's mouth dropped open, running Hermiones words through her head, almost afraid to ask her to repeat herself. Harry had asked Cho Chang to the Ball? She hadn't even realised that Harry knew Cho existed, let alone actually fancied her. . . Actually, it wasn't all that surprising really, she played on the Ravenclaw team, he was bound to spot her when they were both looking for the Snitch, and she was very pretty. Maybe prettier than Ginny. She felt rage and jealousy burn, making her stomach twist. She suddenly hated him, for holding her in his arms and acting so concerned, and then asking another girl to accompany him to the Ball.

". . . you yet Ginny? Ginny?" She shook her head slightly, clearing her mind, and she looked up at the two girls, feeling dazed. She gave them a confused look, and Parvati sighed. "Has anyone asked you yet? Someone you couldn't say no to?" She asked again, slowing her speech. Ginny shook her head, thinking of Harry, while the two other girls clucked their disapproval at her. She had been asked by so many cute boys, they said, why hadn't she said yes to one? She shrugged, scanning the rest of the table absently, and her eyes landed on Draco again, still looking at his kipper glumly. An idea struck her. Maybe the beautiful blond stranger didn't have a date either, and not for want of a partner. She could tell from the last few days that he was frustrated by his inability to speak, opening his mouth to respond, or even saying words that none of them could hear, before getting frustrated with himself and ducking his head, flushed with shame. She felt a little pity for him, underneath the attraction she had to his exotic features. She didn't _love_ him, as she did Harry, but he was a definite second best.

She let her eyes meet Hermione's, letting a shy look cross her face. Both of them leaned forward, immediately interested. She leaned towards them, closing the distance, so anyone trying to eavesdrop would have to have especially sharp hearing to pick up her whispers. "I've been trying to pluck up the courage to ask someone myself, instead of the other way around for once." The two gasps in front of her were well worth the lie, and she was feeling better already. Before she knew what was happening, both other girls were prodding her for information, asking her who the boy was, and why she hadn't already asked him. He was bound to say yes.

After much prodding and poking, they made her agree to approach the boy right there and then, and ask him. Or at the very least, invite him to eat lunch with her later, and she could ask him then. It would be sweet and romantic to ask him at lunch, using the lunch as an excuse to get to know him as much as ask him to the ball. So she stood up, and walked the few paces up the Gryffindor Table to where Draco was sitting, and sat on the bench next to him, startling him out of his bleary-eyed staring competition with the kipper. He gave her a small smile, but his eyes lit up, like she was the best thing he'd seen all week. "Hey! Enjoying your kipper?" He made a face at it. _Not the best conversation starter, since you've been watching him not-eat the bloody thing,_ she scolded herself, and changed tack quickly, "Want to meet up for lunch? Meet you out by the Lake at. . . about ten past one?" He grinned at her and nodded, as if nothing would make him happier than to sit out in the freezing cold with her and pick at whatever food she chose to bring to the lunch. "I'll see you there then, and I'll bring the food." She said firmly, barely acknowledging his nod before getting up and sauntering away, giving Hermione and Parvati a smug look that Draco couldn't see, grabbing her bag and leaving the Great Hall to go to Charms.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hooray for multiple chapters posted in a few days! I actually have this more or less finished, it's just been sitting on my computer for ages unBeta-ed. It's still unBeta-ed, but I want to get started on another writing project, and I want to get this done before I start it. Hope it's not too crap, lemme know if it is. My ownership of Harry Potter and The Little Mermaid hasn't changed. I still don't own them. Oh well, enjoy. _

Ginny sat back against the tree she had chosen, a thick blanket beneath her and one over her legs, a basket next to her and a cushion at her back. She was comfortable and moderately warm, which was a good thing what with the bitter wind that reddened her cheeks. At least the weeping willow she sat under helped with the wind a bit and what got through the gently waving fronds didn't have as much bite as the wind she had fought through on her way down to the edge of the Lake. Apart from the wind, it was a nice day, a weak sun shone far above her, making the water sparkle. The sky was a washed out bluey-grey, with a few paler clouds drifting across the sky.

She pulled a hand mirror out of a pocket and opened it, scrutinising herself in the tiny mirror for the millionth time since she reached the tree, peering through the dense fronds and deciding that it was the perfect place to eat a picnic under a blanket with a beautiful boy. She adjusted the white silk lily in her hair, and made sure it hadn't fallen flat since she had taken the time to curl it. It wasn't wild and bushy like Hermione's, thank Merlin, but the soft curls had drooped just a little. It didn't matter, Draco always seemed happy to see her, no matter what she looked like. Her make up was minimalistic, a little shimmer to her cheekbones, mascara and lipgloss. She was only wearing it because it smelled and tasted like strawberries. Not the sickly artificial kind, the real kind. It was delicious, and she was sure Draco would appreciate it, despite his unwillingness to eat anything other than bread and fish. And if he kissed her, it'd taste like strawberries. And probably fish, since when he did eat, that's what it was. She had brought some along, in the hopes that he'd eat, but he'd probably just watch her. She was _starving_, and thus had brought plenty for herself.

Movement outside the gently waving fronds made her look up, and she squinted for a couple of seconds before calling out and waving. Draco stepped through the leafy curtain, grinning at her. It was only as he walked towards her that she noticed the slight limp. Did he always have that limp? Or was that new? There was no sign of pain in his face, which didn't give away any emotion at the best of times. His face always seemed carefully controlled, like he was afraid to show any emotion that he didn't want other people to see. He was always watching, always listening. Even his grin seemed oddly restrained, there were other emotions carefully hidden behind his clear grey eyes that she couldn't quite make out. She smiled back at him and lifted the blanket, throwing it over his legs as he settled next to her, close but not _too_ close. She could sense nerves from him, as if he was afraid to get too close in case she ran away. She closed the distance between them and gave him a quick hug before settling against his side, pulling the basket to her.

"From our conversation earlier, I decided that you don't like kippers much, but other than that I'm at a loss. I got a few different types of fish and a few other things, you can pick at whatever you like." she rambled, opening the basket and spreading the neatly wrapped food across both their laps. Once opened, they made quite a generous spread. There was a piece of salmon cooked in soy sauce, cod with lemon and dill, a slab of battered fish that she couldn't name, a few different types of sandwiches, two slices of strawberry cheesecake, two pasties and a little bowl of fruit salad. She gave him another smile before picking up a sandwich and biting into it, savouring the taste of chicken, lettuce and mayonnaise. She watched him pick up a tuna and sweetcorn sandwich, and take a bite of it with the air of someone performing a dangerous experiment. She couldn't help but turn and look at him as he chewed it, a bemused expression on his face. It was almost like he was unsure what to make of it, but would try and choke it down anyway. She started to laugh, and he glared at her, finally swallowing the mouthful and putting the rest of the sandwich back on the napkin with the rest of the sandwiches. She shook her head and took a deep breath, pushing the sandwich back into his hand. "I'm sorry. . . I've just never seen someone so wary while eating a sandwich!" She giggled, and the annoyed scowl changed to a frown of embarrassment, and she patted the back of his hand before turning back to her own food.

They spent some time eating in silence, barely even glancing at each other until they were finished, when they finally lifted their heads again and glanced at each other. The awkward silence finally descended on them, as Ginny didn't know what to say, and Draco couldn't speak, even if he _did_ know what to say. She settled for snuggling into a more comfortable position against his side, and smiling to herself when he finally lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders. When she turned to look at him he was blushing furiously, and returned her smile shyly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then frowned slightly and shut it again, pulling away from her slightly. She closed the distance between them again, looking into his stormy grey eyes. "It's OK. I don't mind that you can't speak." She whispered, smiling slightly as she felt his hands clasp behind her back. She lifted her own hands, putting one on his collarbone and one at the back of his neck, pulling his head down so that she could touch her lips to his. His arms tightened around her, pulling her closer, which she took as a sign to deepen the kiss, opening her mouth and gently probing at his lips with her tongue. His response was enthusiastic, and before long their tongues were moving against each other in a way that made her tingle all over, tasting each other with enthusiasm and, on Dracos part, inexperience. A tiny part of Ginny was relieved to find that he didn't taste like fish.

She gave a little whine of disappointment when he pulled away abruptly, looking into her eyes. He opened his mouth, shut it again, and shifted position a few times in irritation, before standing up, pulling Ginny with him. He pointed at himself, then at her, then at the castle, and then did a strange, jerky movement. She frowned at him in confusion, and he drooped slightly, before pointing at himself again, then at her, then at the castle, and then slipping one arm around her waist, taking her hand in the other, and swaying gently. It was only after swaying on the spot for a couple of seconds that Ginny realised what he was doing. "You're asking me to go to the Ball with you?" Enthusiastic nod, big hopeful grin. She returned the nod, and his grin widened, threatening to take over his whole face. She laughed out loud and launched herself into his arms, feeling him wrap his arms around her and swing her around on the spot, lifting her off her feet. It felt natural, like both of them knew what to do at exactly the right moment so that she didn't knock him off his feet, or so that he didn't drop her. They staggered apart, laughing, before Draco pulled her close again, leaning down until his forehead touched hers. She hadn't realised he was so tall. . . He pulled her closer for another tight hug, and their lips were just about to touch when the bell rang inside the castle. Ginny drew back sharply, swearing under her breath. She had Potions after lunch. Snape wouldn't be impressed if she skipped class, he had glared at her when he had spotted her picking food off the Gryffindor table, wrapping it up and shoving it into her basket. There was nothing she could say that would excuse her from the class.

A gentle nudge reminded her where she was, and she looked up into Dracos eyes again. He gave her another gentle push, before turning back to the tree trunk and wrapping the food up again, putting it back into the basket before brushing the crumbs off the blankets and folding them neatly. He put them into the basket on top of the food and stood by her side, looking slightly awkward again. She smiled at him and took his free hand, giving it a quick squeeze before she started walking, Draco keeping up with her fast pace. She knew she was going to be late for class, as she had left her bag with her books up in the Girl's Dormitory, but she didn't care. All she could feel was happiness, and a slight buzz after their kiss. His hand was warm, with calluses on his palms. She noted that he still had the limp, but there was also a spring in his step, if that was possible when limping. She was a little surprised at how quickly they made it back to the castle, and they were at the bottom of the stairs when Luna hopped lightly off the bottom step, carrying two bags. "Hermione told me to give you this. Are you coming to class?" She nodded, taking the bag from Luna and turning to Draco. He grinned at her and made a shooing motion, clearly indicating that she should go to class. She pulled him into a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning and dashing down the stairs to the dungeons after Luna, leaving Draco in the Great Hall, one hand touching his cheek and the other still holding the basket.


	10. Chapter 10

_Here we go again! I'm glad I'm finally posting all this, even if I didn't get a second opinion before posting. Warning, this chapter and the next are the reason I gave this fic an M rating. If you don't like that sort of thing, stop reading now. If you don't mind it, enjoy :3_

Draco squinted into the mirror, tugging uncomfortably at the stiff white collar of the dress robes that Professor Snape had ordered a student to lend him. The trousers were too big, the shirt stiff and uncomfortable, the robe heavy, but it was met with approval from Harry and Ron, who had tried to help him with the tie, up until Hermione barged into the room, tied it for him and flounced back out, patting the round objects in her hair. Harry's dress robes were much like Draco's, stiff and uncomfortable-looking, but in a deep green colour. Ron's, much to Harry and Draco's amusement, were maroon. They smelled old, and had lace at the sleeves and collar. Ron threw them on with a look of disgust on his face, and used his wand to remove some of the lace messily, leaving the cloth frayed and scruffy. It wasn't much of an improvement, but the only way to improve Ron's appearance would be to give him new clothes, and neither Harry nor Draco planned on swapping with him.

They were among a large group of boys who reached the Great Hall at the same time, some meeting their partners straightaway, some milling around awkwardly, waiting for the girls to arrive. Harry spotted Cho after a few minutes chatting to Ron, and gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before he was accosted by a stern-looking female professor, who said something that Harry clearly didn't like. Cho just laughed and gave Harry a playful dig in his side, making him smile weakly before moving to join a small group of people Draco didn't recognise. Lavendar joined Ron and Draco, and they promptly started kissing in front of Draco, who flushed and looked away. Either the Landfolk didn't care about keeping their affections private, or the couple in front of him were exhibitionists. A peck on the cheek was acceptable in front of others, but the way Ron and Lavendar were kissing should be kept private. There hadn't been anyone around to see when Draco and Ginny had kissed, and it had been perfect.

A familiar voice called his name, and when he turned to look at the caller, his jaw dropped. Ginny was wearing an emerald green dress that clung to her curves like a jealous lover, before flaring at her hips to hang loose, brushing the ground. Her hair hung in soft, full curls down her back, undecorated apart from a silver comb sparking with green gems holding her hair on the left side away from her face. When she stepped forward to hug him, he noticed that there was a long slit in the full skirt, showing off a mouthwatering stretch of pale, smooth leg. He smelled something sweet and flowery on her throat, and the familiar smell of strawberries from her lips. When she blinked, her eyelids sparkled green, and her lashes were full and thick. Holding her so close to him made him feel weak at the knees, and his heart hammered in his chest. "You're beautiful." His mouth formed the words close to her ear, but no sound came out. Frustration tore through him, but he smothered it as she pulled away, smiling at her.

He guestured at her form, then clutched his chest over his heart, staggering theatrically. She laughed out loud, giving him another hug. "I take it that means you like what you see?" she breathed into his ear, sending shivers up his spine, and he nodded, letting his lips brush her neck in a bold display of public affection. She didn't seem to mind, in fact she shivered under his touch and tilted her head to give him better access to her neck. He was tempted to lean in and kiss her neck properly, but he felt like he was being watched, and pulled away instead, flushing slightly at the disappointed look on her face. When he turned around again, Ron and Lavendar were staring at them. Ron had turned a strange colour, and Lavendar's mouth was hanging open. A ringing sound drew their attention away, and Draco felt Ginny take his hand and drag him away, going with the crowd that was pouring into the Great Hall. She found them a small, semi-secluded table, well away from Ron and Lavendar, and sat opposite him, looking a little embarrassed. When they looked around the room, they saw people speaking to their empty plates, and the food of their choice appeared on the plate in front of them. Draco looked at his plate in dismay, trying not to look at Ginny.

He heard her say something, but couldn't hear it over the sound of people talking around them. Why had he decided to ask her to go? He probably looked like a fool, who couldn't even ask for something to eat because he couldn't speak. He jumped when a slim hand pulled his empty plate away, replacing it with a plate that had a large piece of steaming fish on it, along with a few vegetables he didn't know the names of, and a creamy sauce. He looked up to see Ginny smiling at him warmly, before she spoke again, asking for another dish. Once it appeared in front of her, she licked her lips, digging into her meal. He picked up his knife and fork to do the same, despite feeling even his ears heat up at her having to order food for him. The fish was hot, well cooked and flaky, and the sauce complimented it well. He decided that he didn't like the green vegetable, or the orange one, but the soft fluffy ones with the crunchy coating were alright. He finished the fish and vegetables, leaving the ones he didn't like, and heard Ginny laughing. "I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much! You should eat your veggies" She teased when he looked up. He made a face, which made her laugh harder, and he put one of the orange vegetables into his mouth. He made another face at her before swallowing, and then pretended to sulk, keeping her in stitches.

The time passed quickly, despite the fact that Draco couldn't speak, and before long the plates and cutlery vanished, and a group of people took up instruments on a raised dais in front of a cleared stretch of floor. They spent a few minutes setting up, checking their instruments, and to a round of excited applause from the mass of students assembled, started to play a slow, mournful song. Four couples made their way onto the cleared space, and started dancing, whirling around each other in time to the music. Draco spotted Harry and Cho, dancing awkwardly, as if Harry didn't know the steps. He smiled at the sight, and watched the other dancers. As more people joined them on the dancefloor, they made a whirling, dizzying mix of colour and shape, swirling around each other with grace, as if they all knew instinctively where the other couples were, and how to move so that they didn't bump into anyone else.

Before he knew what was happening, Ginny had grabbed his hand and was dragging him onto the dancefloor, and he automatically put one hand on her waist, the other taking her hand, the same way he had asked her to the ball, and they whirled among the other dancers gracefully, almost bumping into other people but always missing them by inches, not standing still for longer than a couple of seconds. Pain shot through his feet with each step, but he fought to keep his steps light, keeping up with Ginny and trying not to limp. As much as it hurt, he found that he was enjoying himself, holding her close and spinning through the other dancers as if they weren't even there.

In a lull between songs, they left the dancefloor, heading towards a large table covered with cups and bottles. Ginny picked out two bottles and handed him one, which he opened and sniffed. The liquid smelled strange. She smiled at him. "Have you never tried butterbeer?" Head shake. "Go on, take a sip." He obeyed, and smiled. It wasn't bad, though he was still unused to the idea of drinking. He had never needed to back home, and it felt strange to need to drink. They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the dancers and people milling around the dancefloor, talking and watching the band. There were several professors wandering among the students, keeping a close eye on them. More than once, he saw Snape take a drink from a student, sniff it, and either vanish the contents or give it back with an irritated look on his face. He wasn't sure what Snape was looking for, but he seemed to enjoy taking away whatever-it-was when he found it.

Once they had finished their drinks, Ginny grabbed his hand and dragged him back onto the dancefloor, saying something about the song. The song seemed to go on forever, and they whirled through the other dancers again as if they were the only ones in the room. When the song was over, she pulled him off the dancefloor again, asking if he wanted to go for a walk. He nodded, and they left the Great Hall, following the streams of light that led out to the courtyard, which had been decorated for the Ball. All Draco saw wherever he looked were couples wrapped around each other, sitting on benches, leaning against walls, partially concealed behind bushes. He felt his face heat up, and Ginny squeezed his hand gently. He turned to look at her, and found her staring at something to her right. He followed her line of vision, and saw a familiar head of untidy dark hair. Harry had Cho pinned against the wall, and was moving against her rhythmically with his face buried in her neck. Cho had her head tilted back, eyes shut, breathing fast. One leg was lifted around Harry's waist, the other helping her keep her balance. Draco felt himself flush again, and kept walking, pulling Ginny with him.

He walked without really paying attention to where they were going, and only when Ginny slowed to a stop he realised that they had left the Ball altogether, and were wandering a dark and empty corridor. He turned to look at Ginny, smiling at her sheepishly, and she smiled back warmly, stepping closer to him. Electricity coursed through his body as their lips touched, and he wasted no time in pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and started stepping forward, pushing him against the wall. There was something between him and the cold stone wall, he shifted slightly, feeling an edge behind the cloth, and suddenly there was nothing but loose cloth behind him. He fell backwards, landing on his back with Ginny on top of him, squealing in surprise. She laughed, and pulled the tapestry off her head, letting it fall back behind her. When he sat up and looked around, Draco realised they were in a narrow stairway, leading upwards. He had never seen this passage before, and his thoughts about it disappeared as Ginny shifted her weight on top of him, straddling him in one swift movement. She leaned forward and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck, and ground her hips into his. He gasped at the contact, feeling his trousers grow very tight and uncomfortable. Without breaking the kiss, she started grinding against him rhythmically, pulling at his tie and opening the buttons of his shirt. He lay back, letting his eyes run down Ginny's body. Her chest was heaving with laboured breaths, her perfect breasts straining against the soft green material of her dress. The slit in the skirt had been pulled wide apart, leaving one leg totally bare almost to the hip. She continued to grind against him, making him moan soundlessly. Once she had opened the buttons of his shirt she pulled it off, before opening the zip of her dress and letting it fall to her waist, leaving her only in her bra. She held still long enough to unclasp it, throwing it to one side. Draco sat up again, running his hands up her sides as he did so.

He kissed her softly, before moving down to her neck, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin. She tilted her head back, making her hair fall away from her neck, and he sucked at a sensitive spot under her ear, making her gasp. He then moved slowly downwards, reaching one of her breasts. His tongue traced light circles around her nipple before closing around it, biting it softly and making her arch her back, pushing the nipple further into his mouth. He moved to the other one, giving it the same treatment, as one hand gently caressed her thigh, close to her hip. She whimpered slightly, spreading her thighs further apart and thrusting against him, encouraging him to slip his hand under her dress. She gasped as his fingers brushed her through her knickers, pushing herself against his hand. He could feel her wetness through the flimsy cloth, and he pressed his fingers against it, hearing her moan above him. "Stop teasing me," She groaned into his ear, biting it hard before sitting up, pulling off her knickers in one swift movement and throwing them in the same direction as her bra, lowering herself back onto his fingers. He continued to tease her, and she shivered, trying to press herself against his hand, but he held her in place with his free hand, keeping her from pushing herself over the edge too soon.

She ran her hands down his bare chest, making him lie back, before she pulled at the belt of his trousers, pulling it off. She nearly ripped the button off the trousers as she opened them roughly, pulling down his underwear and letting him wriggle the rest of the way out of his trousers and underwear himself. She would not, however, get off him so he could do this, and instead made it even more difficult by nibbling at his ear as he struggled to get the clothes off. Once he had finally gotten the rest of his clothes off, she started kissing his neck lightly, moving slowly downwards and leaving a trail of kisses until she got to his navel. She looked up at him with her head hovering over his cock, and smiled wickedly, taking the tip into her mouth. He tilted his head back, gasping, and he had to fight not to move his hips lest he choke her. He lifted his head to look at her when she stopped abruptly, letting him fall out of her mouth with a soft pop. She moved back up until her face was level with his, and rolled them over, so that he was on top of her. She pulled him down to kiss her, and he let his hand wander between her legs, massaging it gently. She moaned loudly, trying to thrust into his hand, but like before, he held her still, continuing his gentle massage. "Draco!" She groaned, fighting against the hand that kept her still, and he grinned at her, before sliding a finger into her. She moaned and pushed against his hand, and he felt her hand close around his cock. He moved his finger inside her, adding another as he felt her get wetter with his movement. She matched the rhythm he had set with his fingers inside her, pumping his cock as he penetrated her with his fingers. She moaned again and sped up, making him speed up to match her, and she tugged at his cock suddenly, making him gasp, and she grabbed his hips, pulling his hand out of the way and positioning him at her entrance. He paused, looking at her. She opened her eyes and nodded at him, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I want this." She whispered, using her legs to push him into her sharply and making them both gasp at the feeling. He moaned, feeling himself enveloped in heat, and started to thrust into her slowly, gently. She kissed him slowly, probing him with her tongue and running her hands down his chest and along his sides, before putting her hands on his backside and forcing him to move faster. He obliged, moving back until he was barely inside her, and then grabbed her hips and slammed against her. He repeated this slowly, dragging out the moment before he slammed into her, until she sank her teeth into his earlobe, ordering him to move faster. His thrusting reached a frantic pace, and her keening moans told him that she was close to the edge. She finally threw her head back, moaning loudly, and he came straight after her, burying himself as deeply as he could and releasing his seed within her, moaning soundlessly.

They lay there for what felt like hours, with Draco still inside her, the sweat drying on their bodies. Finally, Ginny lifted his head, kissing him softly on the lips and then kissing his nose, smiling. He smiled back at her, feeling truly happy for the first time since he had given up his tail. He lifted himself off her and lay next to her, holding her close and kissing the top of her head. She tilted her head up to him, kissing him again. He deepened the kiss, feeling himself harden again, and felt her hand wander from his chest to his cock again. She giggled against his lips as her hand wrapped around his length, moving languidly up his shaft. She brought his hand back to her still-wet clit, and in moments they were gasping again, she was pumping his cock fiercely and he was thrusting his fingers within her again.

Ginny pulled his hand away, letting go of his cock, and straddled him, positioning his cock at her entrance, and gave him another wicked smile before slowly lowering herself, biting her lip as he slid into her easily. He threw his head back, moaning silently as she moved on him slowly, and he shut his eyes, savouring the feeling of being inside her. He felt a cold breeze against his legs, gone before he could think about where it came from, but forgot about it almost instantly as Ginny sped up, moaning loudly, and he felt her walls start to clamp around his cock again. He met each of her thrusts, making her moan louder, and she screamed his name as she came, Draco doing the same as he came at the same time, though she never heard her name on his lips.

Once they had caught their breath, Ginny opened her eyes, looking around her, and gave Draco a slightly embarrassed smile, as if she was only realising then that they had just made love twice at the bottom of the stairs in a secret passage of the castle. He sat up beneath her, kissing her nose softly, and she giggled. "We should go." She murmured, leaning her forehead against his. He nodded once, looking disappointed. She stood, collecting her bra and knickers, putting her bra on before pulling her dress back up and fastening it. Draco pulled his shirt back on, leaving the tie to hang open around his neck rather than attempt to tie it again, and hung the robe over one arm. He held the tapestry back and she stepped back into the corridor, shivering slightly at the gust of cold air. He put the robe around his shoulders and she smiled at him, snuggling into the robe. He put his arm around her shoulder as he walked her back to the Gryffindor Common Room entrance, marveling at how they fit together so easily. There was no awkwardness, no shyness now, just a comfortable silence as they walked. He was disappointed when they reached the painting of the Fat Lady, and she kissed him softly, telling him to meet her at the weeping willow by the Lake the next day. He nodded, and she slipped into the room behind the painting, and he turned to make his way back to his rooms. They had decided not to place him with the students, as he couldn't speak the password to get into any of the Common Rooms, and they didn't know what House he was in.

The pain in his feet seemed less now, and he smiled, humming silently. They had mated, which, according to the traditions of his tribe, meant that they were a couple, and they would be together until the end of their days. He had succeeded in wooing her, which meant that he could keep his Human form, and would regain his voice. He cleared his throat, opening his mouth experimentally. Nothing. He frowned slightly, but pushed the thought away. He had mated with the love of his life, and nothing could dampen his spirits.


	11. Chapter 11

_I hope the last chapter wasn't too much smut . There's more in this chapter, just to warn you. Not as long as the last (hehehe XD), but you know the drill by now. If you don't like it, don't read it, I don't own any of this, enjoy, blahblahblah. I know you wanna tap that review button you saucy little minx :P_

Ginny sat at the Gryffindor Table amid stares from both boys and girls, hearing people whisper about who she had taken to the Ball the night before, and she felt a smug little smile tugging at her lips. She had spent the night dancing in the arms of, arguably, one of the best looking boys in the school, and had disappeared with him for long enough to have people wondering about what exactly they had gotten up to. She was just picking some toast off a platter in front of her when Hermione threw herself onto the bench next to her, leaning close and talking low enough that they wouldn't be overheard. "You're loving the attention, aren't you? Half the school is talking about you. Where did you go last night?" Ginny glanced at her friend, whose eyes were sparkling with curiosity, and shrugged nonchalantly before turning back to her toast, only half listening to Hermione hissing questions at her about her alleged antics.

Eventually, she gave up, grabbing her bag and leaving the Great Hall, waving at anyone who called to her and blushing at the looks some people gave her. She wasn't surprised that people were talking, Draco might as well have dropped out of the sky less than a week ago, no-one recognised him, let alone knew his name or where he came from, he couldn't speak, a large amount of both girls and boys turned to stare at him when he walked past, and she had spent her time at the Ball with only him, unlike most people who went to the Ball in groups of several couples. Not to mention their disappearing act before the Ball ended. She knew when she agreed to go to the Ball with him that she would be the subject of gossip, and rather than being embarrassed or ashamed, she proved Hermione right by enjoying the attention.

She turned and walked out of the Castle and into the bitter wind, wrapping her heavy cloak around her and pulling the hood up. She hadn't bothered with food this time, only bringing with her a couple of thick, soft blankets stuffed into her bag, and a flask of hot chocolate. She reached the willow quickly, eager to get out of the wind, and squeaked in surprise to find Harry sitting against the trunk, staring at her intently. It was fairly obvious he had been waiting for her, even before he spoke. "I thought you might come out here eventually." She tried not to cringe at how flat and expressionless his voice sounded. His face was impassive, giving very little away. She stepped forward slowly, sitting against the trunk with him, keeping a little distance between them. Despite his flat tone and blank face, she could tell he was unhappy. Whether it was sadness or anger, she couldn't tell. He shifted closer to her, and she fought off the urge to move away. He wouldn't hurt her, she just didn't want to be close to him when he was like this. Especially if the negative feelings were because of her.

"I saw you last night with Draco. In the staircase behind the tapestry on the second floor." She felt blood rush to her face, and stared at her knees in shock. How could he have walked in on them without her noticing? Even with her back to the tapestry, she would have noticed if it had been pulled aside. . . _Of course_. She had noticed, but had thought it was just a draught from some small space where the tapestry hadn't been pulled back properly, and in the heat of the moment, so close to coming a second time, she had ignored it. Shame tore through her at the thought of Harry twitching the tapestry to see her fucking Draco, and slipping away as quietly as he had appeared. Instead of responding, she opened her bag, pulling out a blanket and standing up to spread it on the ground, leaving half of it for Harry to straighten and sit on if he wished as she sat back down, pulling the other blanket out of the bag and throwing it over both of them as she noticed Harry straightening the ground-blanket under him.

She avoided his eyes, letting the silence stretch out between them, feeling embarrassed that she had been caught having sex in a part of the castle that wasn't a bedroom, ashamed that it had been the boy she loved who had caught her, and terrified of what was going to happen next. Was he going to give out to her for giving herself to someone she had known for less than a week, accuse her of being a slut, go and tell Ron or Fred and George of her sexual encounters? Or would he accuse her of seducing and corrupting his quiet and innocent new friend? Draco certainly wasn't innocent any more, Ginny could tell that he had given her his virginity, even though they hadn't discussed sex when their conversations had touched briefly on previous relationships. She realised that among all the emotions running around her head, there was no regret. She didn't regret what she had done; just that she had been caught. She had seen Harry with another girl, so instead of refusing to be with anyone at all, she had settled for second-best. She liked Draco well enough, but she would give him up in favour of Harry in a heartbeat.

She looked up at Harry to find him staring at her, still waiting for her to respond. She flushed again, unsure of what to say. "I should have asked you to go to the Ball with me," Her eyes widened, and he pressed a thin finger to her lips when she parted them to speak. "I didn't have the balls to ask you, partly because Ron, Fred and George are so protective of you, and partly because I thought you wouldn't want me. I thought that you had found a date straight after the posters for the Ball went up. I asked Cho because I like her, but. . . she's not you. Draco never said anything about wanting to take you, if he had I would have. . . I don't know what I would have done." He laughed wryly at himself, and she pressed her lips to the finger that hovered in front of them, and spoke around them. "You should have asked me. I was waiting for you, until Hermione told-" Harry cut her off before she could continue, kissing her fiercely. Her heart hammered in her chest, picking up speed as their kiss quickly deepened.

He wants me. He _wants_ me. He wants _me._ The thought repeated itself over and over in her mind, as they snuggled into the blankets until they were lying down in each others arms, Harry nuzzling her neck as she pulled him closer. The way his lips brushed her neck made heat pool low in her stomach, and she shivered at his touch. He kissed her lips lightly, the merest brush of lips and pulled her closer again, until their bodies were fully pressed against each other, and she slid one leg up around his waist. After a few minutes of passionate kissing, he broke the kiss and just held her close, looking into her eyes. They spent what felt like hours just lying there, looking into each others eyes, before Harrys lips pressed against hers again, and she lost herself in the kiss, enjoying the feeling of Harrys warm hand sliding up her leg.

She gasped slightly when his hand moved to cup her buttock under her skirt, and realised very quickly that she didn't care about the fact that they were outside. They were covered by a blanket, underneath a weeping willow whose dense fronds trailed the ground, and there was no-one outside, especially not in the bitter cold. Luckily for Ginny and Harry, the willow kept the breeze at bay, and it was comfortably warm under the blankets. Especially when his hand moved to rub her clit through her knickers, eliciting a soft moan. She shifted her hips slightly so she could grind against the teasing fingers, and lost herself to the feelings that had been enjoyable with Draco, but it was different with Harry. For her, it was just a good shag with Draco, she had an itch and he helped her scratch it. With Harry, she actually wanted to be with him for more than just a quick fuck under a tree. Ever since she had first laid eyes on him at the barrier to Platform 9 3/4 when Ron started school, she had been fascinated with him, and as she got older, her fascination developed into desire, and she had spent her days wondering what it would be like to kiss him, to look into his eyes and know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

When Harry tugged at her underwear, she lifted her hips instinctively, allowing him to pull them off. He smiled against her lips and wasted no time in teasing her clit with his fingers, making her thrust against the teasing fingers, until he finally slid one inside her, making her moan. She was dimly aware of her pulling at his belt, of pulling his cock out of his jeans and wrapping her hand around it, keeping time with his thrusts as she had with Draco. He groaned in her ear, thrusting in time with her movements, and both of them moaned together when the tip of his cock rubbed against her clit. She looked into his eyes as she guided him into her, closing her eyes as he slid fully into her. The slow, gentle pace didn't last long, within a few minutes he was thrusting hard into her, saying her name over and over again, and they came together, saying each others names as she pressed her body against him, lost in her own orgasm as he released inside her.

She snuggled against him as his arms settled around her, breathing in his scent and feeling happier than ever. Her encounter with Draco had been forgotten almost as soon as he kissed her, and she felt a small twinge of shame when she realised that she didn't care that she had forgotten him. He was nice, sweet, funny, but nothing mattered but Harry. He leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear. "I love you." He whispered, and her heart beat so fast she thought it was going to burst with happiness.

"I love you too, Harry."


	12. Chapter 12

_Last chapter errybody! Thanks to the Beta who read the first few chapters for me, thanks to J.K. Rowling and Hans Christian Anderson for being the literary geniuses who thought up these stories ('cause I most certainly didn't) and thanks to you. Yes, you. You're reading this, which means you've read the whole thing (probably) so thanks for taking the time to read my first ever fanfiction. Also, thanks for reviewing :P_

Draco staggered away from the willow, drawing deep, ragged breaths. The image of Ginny and Harry moving under the blanket appeared every time he shut his eyes, so he tried to keep them open, his eyes watering as the cold wind stung them. He felt like he had been stabbed in the chest, like Ginny had torn it still-beating from his chest and stood on it. She wasn't his mate. She never would be. What they had done the night before clearly didn't mean anything to these cold-hearted landfolk. They didn't hold it sacred. It wasn't part of their mating rituals. No wonder she had given herself to him after barely three days of knowing each other. It didn't matter to her. _He_ didn't matter to her. He was just someone she could fall back on when Harry was with someone else. Barely five minutes ago, he had loved her, had felt joy in knowing that she loved him too. Now he hated her, now that he knew she didn't feel the same way that he did about her. Why had he chosen to do this? He could have stayed at home, kept courting that mermaid back home, and eventually mated with her. He could barely remember her name now, let alone what she looked like. She had been forgotten when he saw a flame-haired angel lit up by fire. The image of her as he first saw her lit up feelings that he didn't want, and he clawed at his chest as if trying to rip his own heart out, choking on silent sobs.

He looked around him, not really seeing where he was. A part of him dimly noted that he was walked far away from the castle, around the edge of the lake, and he was standing in a circle of trees that grew in one vast cluster far away from the forest. The water of the Lake lapped against a large rock that jutted out over the water. He stumbled onto it and sat, dangling his legs over the water. He lifted his feet suddenly and tore off their uncomfortable leather casings, throwing them as far over the Lake as he could, followed closely by his bloody socks. Now that he was looking at his feet properly, he could see deep lacerations, as if walking actually dug blades into his feet. He scowled at them, and let them dangle again, feeling relief as they dipped into the cold water. He wished he had his tail again. He wished he had never made that deal with the Lake Witch. He wished he had never seen Ginny, or that explosion. He wished he hadn't mated with her. He threw his head back and released a noiseless howl, not stopping until he had run out of breath.

When he looked back down at the Lake, there were three heads bobbing on th surface of the water. Two belonged to Blaise and Vincent. The third belonged to the mermaid he had been courting. Astoria. He gawped at them as if he had never seen them before, and they swam closer, and he noticed that Astoria was crying, rubbing her eyes fiercely as she tried to swim at the same time. "What have you done to yourself, Draco?" She sobbed at him, touching one of his feet lightly before drawing her hand back sharply, as if Human legs were contagious. Vincent and Blaise could only look at him sadly. He choked back another sob of his own and slid into the water beside them, realising that he couldn't swim any more when he flailed in an attempt to keep his head above the water and found that he couldn't. Nor was he able to breathe. Water filled his mouth and nose, choking him as he tried to breathe, and strong hands grabbed him around his waist and under his arms, pulling him up so that he could cough and splutter and choke back several lungfuls of air above the surface.

He had to try not to flinch as Astoria moved closer to him, cupping his face in her hands. Vincent and Blaise were holding him above the surface, his own legs beating uselessly against the endlessly moving water. "We searched everywhere for you. Your parents think you're dead." He opened his mouth to respond, and kicked his legs in frustration. He knew now why he still couldn't speak, and that angered him more. How could he have been so blind? He should have known that mating with Ginny wouldn't mean anything, after seeing the couple on the boat and the numerous couples in the courtyard at the Ball. Even looking at Ron and Lavendars public displays of affection should have told him that they didn't care who saw them. If they didn't care, it was a clear indication that the rest of the Landfolk didn't care either. He felt like an idiot. He had given up his voice and his tail for the hope that he could make her love him in a week. A week? How could he have been so stupid? He had left everything behind for what? Four days of drooling over a Landfolk girl who didn't want him, and never would. His parents thought he was dead. Vincent, Blaise and Astoria would probably believe it too, only they were right in front of him. He tried to twist away from his friends, to make them let him go so he could drown. Drowning would be better than trying to go back. His family wouldn't accept him if he went back without his tail. Was that why they were there? To bring him back? He wasn't one of them any more.

"We found the Lake Witch. She told us what happened," He stared at them in shock. Had they gone looking for her, hoping that she would help them find him? She must have laughed when she told them what he had done. "She told us that there's a way for you to come back. You can come back to us. I don't care about the Human girl. You can come back to me, and we'll act like all this never happened." Astoria pulled a knife from her belt as she spoke, a long cruel looking thing, more a sword than a knife, all shiny metal and sharp edges. The hilt was inlaid with Mother of Pearl, the pommel a smooth rounded obsidian. The crossguard was plain in comparison to the hilt and pommel, made of the same shining metal as the blade, without ornament or decoration. She pressed it into his hand, and kissed him softly on the lips. She tasted of Lake Water. His hand closed around the hilt, fitting there as snugly as his spear. "What do I have to do?" He mouthed at her, and she frowned in confusion for a moment, before responding. "Lead the Human girl who stole your heart to the Lake, take her as far into the water as she'll permit. Stab her with this blade, and let the blood flow into the water. Once her life blood has been drained, you'll get your tail back. You'll be one of us again. You can do it, Draco. I know you can. It'll be no different to spearing a fish. She deserves much worse for what she's done to you." He stared long and hard at her, considering her words. Was he capable of killing her just to get his old life back? Surely Astoria knew that if he did this, and came back, he would never be the same. He had loved, lost and become a murderer in a matter of days. Just because he came back wouldn't mean that he would want to go back to courting her. He might not want to mate with anyone after that.

Something occurred to him as he thought about what she was asking him to do. "What price did you pay her for this?" He asked, mouthing the words as clearly as he could. It still took a few tries before she understood what he was asking her, and she smiled wryly, before tugging at her head. Her long, wild black hair had been cut short, cut jaggedly just under her chin. A glance at Vincent and Blaise showed that they had also given their hair. Blaise had a cut under his ear where the blade had bit into his skin as she cut his thick hair. "She cut our hair with that knife, and said some words over it. A small price to pay for getting you back." Astoria smiled at him sadly, kissing him again before ducking under the surface suddnly and swimming away. Vincent and Blaise helped him back to the shore, vanishing under the murky water without a word.

He stared blankly at the water where they had disappeared, and then at the knife. The edge looked sharper than anything he had ever seen before. Could he lure Ginny into the Lake, and murder her? Was he capable of that? Astoria had to know that killing her wouldn't be like gutting a fish. Would it? He turned to walk back to the castle, trying to form a plan as he walked slowly back to the giant stone building.

* * *

><p>Draco scowled as he glanced at the tree he and Ginny had sat under to eat lunch. Where they had kissed. Where he had asked her to go to the Ball with him. Where she was now wrapped around another man, giving herself to him as she had given herself to Draco. His stomach roiled as he thought about what he had to do, and stepped towards the tree. He decided that it would be a lot easier than he thought, all he had to do was drag her to the water and shove the knife between her ribs. It didn't matter if Harry was still here. Ginny was tiny, throwing her over his shoulder and running to the Lake would be easy, a quick dash and it was done. He could go home, apologise to his parents, hunt with Blaise and Vincent again, resume courting Astoria. She would be faithful to him.<p>

His face set in grim determination, he pulled the fronds of the tree apart, and looked at the couple lying at the base of the tree. They had fallen asleep, still wrapped around each other, her red hair fanning out on the ground over the blanket, Harrys glasses askew on his face. He spotted a scrap of cloth peeking out from under the blanket and scowled at it as he realised that it was wrapped around Ginnys leg. She was no different to the other landfolk. She didn't love him, she never would. She was no better than a whore, giving herself to more than one man, especially with so little time between them.

His resolve started to weaken as he stood over them, looking down on them. Ginny was snuggled close to Harry, both arms wrapped around him, her head on his chest. Her side rose and fell slowly, her breathing deep and even with sleep. Harry had both his arms around her, one supporting her, the other around her waist over the blanket. His chin rested against her forehead, his glasses almost hanging off. He also breathed slowly and deeply. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep, mumbling his name under her breath, and he automatically drew her closer, neither of them waking up. His resolve withered completely, and his face crumpled, fresh tears streaming down his face. He wouldn't kill her. He couldn't. He loved her too much to take her life. Even seeing her lying in the arms of another man, mumbling his name as he held her, he knew he'd never hate her enough to kill her. Even to get his tail back. He didn't even know what would happen at the end of the week if he failed. _When_ he failed. Nor did he care.

Draco staggered away from the tree for the second time that day, heading back to the waters edge alone. The cold breeze ruffled his hair and dried his tears as he waded into the water, further and further until the water reached his chest. He held the knife above the water and tilted his head back, enjoying the breeze. It whispered through the trees, and he could almost imagine them speaking to him. _"Join us. . . join usssss. . ."_ They seemed to whisper, and he nodded, looking at the blade. He was able to stop the pain. He didn't have to think about her any longer. The answer lay in his hand. He grimaced as he put both hands under the water, gripping the handle of the blade with both hands as he slid it into his own chest. He shuddered, letting his legs give way beneath him and letting water fill his lungs as his head dropped below the surface of the water. He was free now. The pain and troubles of life seemed less and less as the world grew darker. Maybe he would join the spirits of the wind, rustling through the trees and forgetting the troubled life he had left behind. His lips curled into a smile as the current carried his limp body out to the depths of the Lake, away from the castle.

His last thoughts were of peace, and relief. He was free.


End file.
